Publishing information: Paperback; 540 pages
Publisher: Solaris; 7 July 2008
ISBN 10: 1844166457
ISBN 13: 978-1844166459
Series Volume 1 of the Jump 225 Trilogy
Copy: Out of pocket
Reviewer: Tyson
Back of the Book: "Natch is a master of bio/logics, the programming of the human body. He’s clawed and scraped his way to the top of the bio/logics market using little more than his wits. Now his sudden notoriety has brought him to the attention of Margaret Surina, the owner of a mysterious new technology called MultiReal. Only by enlisting Natch’s devious mind can Margaret keep MultiReal out of the hands of High Executive Len Borda and his ruthless armies.
To fend off the intricate net of enemies closing in around him, Natch and his apprentices must accomplish the impossible. They must understand this strange new technology, run through the product development cycle, and prepare MultiReal for release to the public—all in three days.
Meanwhile, hanging over everything is the specter of the infoquake, a lethal burst of energy that’s disrupting the bio/logic networks and threatening to send the world crashing back into the Dark Ages."
When you think science fiction you usually picture epic space battles and aliens that defy your imagination. Most of those books are quite good but you do not always picture a science fiction book regarding the future of the internet. That is where Infoquake comes in, it propels us into the future and let's us see what cyberspace could be like in the distant future.
Infoquake takes place in the far future where countries are of a bygone era and we now find Earth, the moon, Mars, and a few other distant planets and space stations all choosing their form of governments through their email. You can choose the amount of security and laws you want/require and how many tax breaks they will give you for your chosen profession. Edelman says nothing about are current political parties, but it looks as if he has some Libertarian leanings as our hero goes that route when choosing his government. With the current state of politics going on around the world, an email choosing your government does not sound too bad.
With humanity reaching far into the heavens and beyond, the majority of the people travel through cyberspace or what Edelman calls the Data Sea. Everyone in the future relies on bio/logics which are nanites that keep the body safe and with various programs offered in the Data Sea enhance the body beyond our wildest dreams. The law enforcement agencies of the future no longer need to carry lethal force when they have baton/guns that can enter your bloodstream and interfere with the technology that runs around your nervous system. The world building is, in a word, impressive. Edelman has a fully envisioned future which is represented in the back of the book where you can read about Earth's history and the various terms used in the book.
Infoquake follows Natch our mastermind and child prodigy as he claws his way to the top of the charts on the data sea bringing new and improved bio/logic programs for purchase so that the population can enhance their nature abilities or increase their vanity. As he is planning his next breakthrough he is offered the opportunity of a lifetime. While this is going on we are also treated to the back story of what makes Natch tick and how he came to be the head of his own company and hired his trusted employees. Natch's two top employees also bring in fresh prospectives to the story as Jara provides the voice of reason and acts like his conscience and Horvil attempts to create what Natch has envisioned. The three work as a whole to move the story forward and provide different points of view. As the company becomes more successful we are also allowed to peer into the motivations of Natch's enemies that he has created along the way. Each and every individual we encounter in Infoquake is well developed and at times mysterious at the same time. It makes for an amazing read as we are allowed to peak behind the curtain but not allowed to see everything as if the room were blanketed in darkness.
Infoquake has been compared to the classic novel Dune and the movie Wallstreet. This is a very good comparison, but I think that Infoquake stands on its own merits and allows us to envision a future that could quite possibly occur with a nudge in the right direction. The pacing and style of the novel leaves you wanting more as the book moves at break-neck speed from the corporate boardrooms to the public launch of a product. You would think that a science fiction book that focuses on the backstabbing and the planning of a new computer program would leave you yawning and sleepy, but Edelman has found a way to keep you reading way into the wee hours of the morning drinking coffee like a computer programmer behind on his product launch. A fascinating piece of literary work that is bound to be considered a classic of science fiction. One, if not THE top read of the year. A must have for any reader of science fiction. Could not recommend higher.
Plot 10
Characters 10
Style 10
Overall 10/10
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